>> hello. this is the "journal" coming to from dw in berlin. > here's a look at the stories will be covering over the next 30 minutes. in the ukrainian capital, thousands continue their protests against the country's decision not to sign a partnership heal with the european union. >> anti-government demonstrations in thailand escalate as opposition supporters forced their way into the army's headquarters. >> syria' ties to children -- syria's traumatized children.

how the civil war is affecting kids on both sides of the divide. >> opposition protesters have taken to the streets of kiev to give strength to their demand that ukraine align itself with the eu and not with russia. >> the protests were sparked when ukrainian government act out of a partnership eel with russia -- with brussels. tensions have been mounting. the opposition is calling for the government to resign. police have been firing tear gas to disperse the demonstrations. or the very latest, let's go live to kiev. what is the atmosphere? will this remain peaceful? >> yes. i want to say that the atmosphere is better now than it was before. people understood this.

people say now they will not leave the situation. the result of this seven days of demonstrations, ukraine shows that we have a new public movement. >> we are getting live pictures right now. where is public opinion across the country on this? is the country evenly split, or more -- or are there more pro-e- you people? >> people are ready to do everything for democracy in the ukraine. >> what about the opposition? will they be keeping up the pressure until they get the deal that they want? >> yes, opposition leaders said to the people that the president

betrayed the ukrainian people. also i want to say that everybody says the first of december will be the final day of the demonstrations. >> there's some perspective there on this protest from kiev. >> the ukrainian president repeated his rejection of the eu trade deal. angry eu leaders accused russia of pressuring kiev to drop the pack. >> russia says it is brussels who is the bully. for his part, the ukrainian president said the you could not offer enough cash in the end. he did manage to calm the waters by saying his country wanted closer eu integration. >> it may not have been the

prize they hoped for, but the eu did manage to get some new trading partners. >> eu leaders wrapping up their summit in lithuania. they are all smiles for the cameras, but the meeting failed to achieve its main goal -- an agreement that would bring ukraine into the eu fold. the ukrainian president refused to sign the deal despite last ditch efforts by european leaders to persuade him overnight. that has prompted anger. the eu has blamed russia. the new council president used unusually harsh language. >> the union will continue insisting that any russian actions aimed at influencing our partner's sovereign choices would be in breach of the helsinki principles. >> ukrainian president says he may be prepared to sign the eu deal in the future and europe is not prepared to burn any bridges. >> the door is open. we will discuss matters of

concern that ukraine may have, and we are ready to discuss them with ukraine, with russia, or whatever country. >> it was not all failure. george and mulled over have initial partnership deals with the eu. that means in future, more access to the european market for the former soviet republics. it is a historic moment for both countries. >> in thailand, protests against the government are escalating. on friday, demonstrators broke into the compound of army headquarters in the capital, bangkok, demanding that the military choose a side. >> right after that, the thai prime minister ruled out the use of force against protesters. she also said there would be no early elections following six days now of demonstrations. >> protesters say they are even more determined to get the prime minister out of office after a no-confidence motion in the thai parliament failed to do the job.

>> will keep going because this prime minister is useless. >> demonstrators paralyzed bangkok hoss skytrain, one of the capital's main transport lines on friday. they also besieged ruling party officers and several government ministries. protesters even stormed army headquarters, demanding the country's generals to take sides. in 2006, the military overthrew the former prime minister. protesters say she is now acting as his puppet. >> takes advantage of the thai people in the country. he created a system that's bad for politics and the country. >> this time around, the army is attempting to stay neutral, another thing working in the prime minister's favor is the timing. next thursday, the king will turn 86. already, many are out, and protests on the king's birthday would be unthinkable for both sides.

>> china has scrambled warplanes to the air defense zone a unilaterally declared in the east china sea. >> japan, the u.s., and south korea have all sent in planes over the past few days, delivering -- deliberately ignoring china's demand that he be informed of all flights. >> the no-fly zone covers a group of islands claimed by both china and japan. they are currently under japanese control. >> china deployed its planes after the new air defense zone was breached by several american, japanese, and south korean military aircraft without warning. the chinese air force identified 10 japanese planes and two from the u.s. according to officials in beijing. china's establishment of the air defense zone was not directed towards any specific country or target. it is entirely for the purposes of exercising china's right to self-defense, and it will not cause regional tensions.

japan is showing verbal restraint. the prime minister said his country wants to deal with the situation calmly and firmly. >> my door is always open for dialogue, and i would like to work hard to deepen relations on all levels through dialogue. >> the confrontation centers on these islands. they are believed to be rich in fish reserves and natural resources. tensions in the east china sea have been rising for days. the islands are uninhabited and administered by japan. on friday, a chinese aircraft carrier made its way into the south china sea, but calls are growing louder for china to act even more boldly. >> coming up, ratings agencies have cast their verdict on to european states. >> first, let's take a quick look at some of the other stories making the news.

bulgaria is building a 30- kilometer building -- 30- kilometer fence and effort to stop illegal immigration. the country's defense minister says he expects the fence, which will run mainly through forests and hills, to be complete february. >> officials say over 40 people have been killed in an explosion at an arms depot in southern libya. state media reported the blast happened when a group rope into the facility near the city and attempted to steal weapons. it is unclear what exactly triggered the explosion. >> russian prosecutors are calling for a star ballet dancer to be jailed for nine years. he's accused of masterminding an attack on the artistic director of russia's prestigious bolshoi theater in january. the crime shocked russia and exposed deep frictions within the legendary theater. >> business news now.

there are signs that spain is recovering from the eurozone crisis. ratings agency standard & poor's says economic growth is picking up there. s&p stripped the netherlands of its top-notch aaa credit rating, blaming a slowdown in growth. the economy has been losing steam lately. unemployment is up while house prices are down. let's get some market reaction now. our correspondent sent us this report from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> standard & poor's certainly gave the people here on the frankfurt floor food for discussion and food for thought. the netherlands losing their top-notch rating certainly not good news for the people here. germany is the only really big country economically in the eurozone still with a triple a, and there are two minor countries as well, so not good news in total, but the analysis, the optimism showing on spain --

that was good news, so that counteracted the dutch news. the dax was able to register a new record high, climbed over 9400 points for the first time in its 25-year history. certainly the high level still a result of lots of support from the central banks around the world but also from the coalition agreement between the conservatives here in germany and the social democrats. some critical point here, but lots of praise from the investors as well. >> here's a quick look at the numbers for you now. beginning in frankfurt were germany's dax ended the trading day at 9405. euro stoxx 50, however, lost .2% . across the atlantic, dow jones industrials currently at 16,000 86, slightly negative territory there. on currency markets, the euro is trading for $one point 3584 --

$1.3584. >> the first drop in the eurozone jobless rate in 2.5 years. >> the number of people out of work remains near record highs in the with 20 million registered last month, and there is still a big divide between the euro zone economies. spain and greece's unemployment rates are nearly five times higher than that of germany. >> to france now, where the country is debating a controversial bill that cracks down on prostitution but spares sex workers by penalizing the people who buy sex rather than those who sell it. >> the bill, which was proposed by the governing socialist party there, marks a new departure in the country's efforts to combat the sex trade. >> on the outskirts of paris, this area is notorious for prostitution. brothels are already illegal, as

is pending and soliciting to sell sex. currently, sex workers can be fined or face a jail sentence. the government wants to eradicate the sex trade completely. >> it's no longer viable to satisfy a desire just because you have money and to exploit somebody else's economic situation. >> the new bill targets clients. if it is past, people caught buying sex could be fined 1500 euros or required to attend a course on conditions in which prostitution is carried out. supporters of the bill gathered in front of parliament on friday, calling for abolition, but there were many opponents, two. many sex workers think it will make them more formidable to abuse. >> women will be forced to go underground. women will be forced to work with recruiters. >> the debate has divided public

opinion in france. more than 300 male celebrities, intellectuals, and other figures have signed a manifesto defending their right to buy sexual services. some public figures have asked the government to reconsider, arguing the bill is sanctimonious. >> on to germany now, a new coalition here plans to charge foreign motorists to use the country's autobahns, which has angered germany's neighbors. >> the netherlands wants the eu to veto the plan, and austria is threatening to take germany to the european court of justice if the highway toll gets the go- ahead. it says the proposed charge is discriminatory because it will not lie to german drivers -- apply to german drivers. a german policeman has been arrested under suspicion of killing and chopping up a man he met online. >> the suspect pointed officers to a number of locations around his property where he said he had buried the remains. police say the 55-year-old admitted to stabbing his victim

just hours after meeting him in person. we are going to a short break. when we come back, plenty more news and sports here today. >> don't go away. >> don't go away. >> welcome back. the united nations is drawing attention to the plight of children caught up in the syrian conflict. >> it estimates some 3 million people have fled syria, most of them into neighboring countries. amongst the refugees, children are the most vulnerable with an uncertain and precarious future. >> of dillow goes begging for stale bread to sell as bird feed. that's how the 13-year-old helps us family survive at this refugee camp in jordan. the united nations says more than half of all syrian refugee children work instead of going to school. >> child labor is a major

problem. unfortunately, because of their social situations, many families send her children out on the streets to perform menial work. >> a new report by the united nations refugee agency is based on interviews with 270 children. its title -- the future of syria, refugee children in crisis. the findings are alarming. many of the children have been orphaned. nearly a third are so traumatized that they do not make their shelters more than once a week. other children form gangs, reacting with violence. all carry with them horrible experiences from the war. >> there are children who do not want to leave the house. some children for instance have started wetting their beds. there are all kinds of effects that the children can show. >> the report is a cry for help,

and an appeal to the world not to write off syria's more children as a lost generation -- war children as a lost generation. >> dual citizenship has been illegal in most cases. angela merkel's government says it is a form of referential treatment and a disadvantage to those who cannot get a second passport. >> but this is set to change if the new governing coalition comes to power. one of the demands of social democrats is that young people in germany's large turkish population, for example, will be allowed to keep both german and turkish passports. here's more. >> she was born into a turkish family in germany. she has citizenship in both countries, and according to the new coalition deal between germany's biggest parties, she will get to keep both her passports. until now, young people with german and non-eu citizenship had to give up one by the age of

23, but the new policy will not do anything for older generations of german turks. they will not be able to hold dual citizenship. germany's turkish community is disappointed. >> this is a missed opportunity. people should be honored for their hard work at being allowed dual citizenship. >> the turkish community is afraid the new policy will divide families. they are also upset with the social democrats and the party leader, who promised to make dual citizenship possible for all german turks. >> we did not say that he should make that promise. we just amended rights, but when our party chief says no coalition agreement without will citizenship, that is a wholehearted pronouncement. >> now, the spd's grassroots members get to decide whether to accept the coalition deal or

not. leaders of the turkish community recommend checking the no box. >> it has been one year since the coalition president assumed power. >> today one neuron, has he been successful in achieving at least some of those goals? let's get a progress report. >> mexican president has spent his first year in office rubbing shoulders with an elite of global leaders. as head of one of the world biggest economies, he has been working hard to shift global attention away from the drug wars. the executions and abductions have faded from the headlines. >> m government's agenda is to improve the prosperity of the mexican people. the changes we are making are

supported by the majority of the people, and everyone knows we need them. that's why the people will continue to support my reforms. >> but the president has admitted that the government has lost control of policing in some areas. in rural states, locals are forming vigilante groups to protect themselves from drug- fueled violence. they say they are unable to rely on a corrupt police force. >> we are simple people. we are no longer going to put up with people turning up here, disturbing the peace, and extorting us and treating us like slaves. >> when he took office, the president vowed to set up a special force to tackle the drug cartels. those plans have yet to be realized, but restrictions on journalists have increased.

>> the reality has not changed. this government wants to alter people's perceptions by covering up the violence. they actually think people will believe there is no violence if the press is no longer writing about it. the reality is as brutal as before. >> while the press may have been forced to limit its coverage of the crime and bloodshed, it went to town on one of the president's successors. the president's approval ratings also rose as a result of his swift response to the hurricanes that wreaked havoc on mexico's caribbean and pacific coasts in october, but many excitons are angry about the lack of effective releasing, the weakening economy, and the raft of commercial reforms. they accuse the president of

having no clear plan. street protests like this one have become a regular occurrence. >> change of pace now and a question -- how do you make composer richard wagner's operas and classical music popular among young people? >> sit them down and let them listen to it. it is gorgeous. of course, you could also challenge them to put his music to wrap and on top of it, offer an attractive prize to the one who does it best. >> does that sound laudable? let's have a listen. >> welcome to the shores of the mediterranean. this is where a group of turkish youngsters have revamped richard wagner apostle music with the help of a german rapper. >> when you hear wagner, what comes to mind was -- ♪ at least that's what i heard.

>> this is what wagner usually sounds like. earlier this year, the wagner festival launched an online contest to set wagner to wrap -- rap. >> the entry was amazingly musical. but it had also worked on the test a lot. it was almost a finished music video. an excellent, all around package. >> the winners got to take part in a workshop. their task was to rewrite "the right of the valkyries" as a wrap -- rap. >> wagner's music is really for everyone. it is really interesting to combine his sound with rap

rhythms. >> wagner chose just the right notes. the important and the good ones, and wrote them down. >> an orchestra played "the flying dutchman" for us. that was wonderful. >> the original "ride of the valkyries" was a battle cry, but the new take on it is a plea for peace and for the noise of their people to be heard. ♪ >> ok. >> if it does the trick, ok. some sports now. to table toppers will face two bottom clubs this saturday. >> dortmund are currently in third position, and they must win if they want to stay in the

race, but it will not be easy. their opponent is playing a very good season thus far. >> there's a feel-good feeling after two wins in a row. during the 3-2 defeat, the striker hit the net again. it looks like he could be returning to form after a series of injuries. >> he is getting along fantastically as a person and as an athlete as well. >> despite the injuries, he's now scored seven goals this season. people are beginning to take notice. this could be his ticket to a bigger club. he has also played for germany twice, but now, he has to prove his mettle against dortmund, who won their last two matches. the home side want to end that run. >> i cannot guarantee that we will succeed, but it is clear

that only an exceptionally good performance will be enough for us to take a point or two win. >> dortmund beat nathalie in the champions league midweek, but they lost their last two bundesliga matches and need three points to keep in touch with the leaders. >> the chances that we will drop in and when by accident or not that they. there's just too much riding on the match. >> the bundesliga leaders have already shown dortmund how it is done. >> do not forget, you can find out more sports about the bundesliga at our website, at dw.de/sport. >> that's all from us for now, but there's more to come. do stay with us. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

watching live from paris from france 20 four. tough words from moscow after ukraine turns its back on brussels. russia is accused of bowling the the country.llying of killing aed soldier in broad daylight. we will have the latest in just a few moments. changing the way france cockles prostitution. the lawmakers debate a bill which would see clients being punished.